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Freedom & Necessity: An Introduction to the Study of Society (Vintage V-682) Mass Market Paperback – January 1, 1971

by Joan Robinson (Author)

3.4 4 ratings

Part of: Routledge Library Editions: Landmarks in the History of Economic Thought (12 books)

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Freedom and Necissity offers an original synthiesis of economic history, but goes on as well to analyze the present.

Part of series

Routledge Library Editions: Landmarks in the History of Economic Thought
Print length

130 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Vintage Books
Publication date

January 1, 1971
ISBN-10

0394716825
ISBN-13

978-0394716824
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage Books (January 1, 1971)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 130 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0394716825
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0394716824
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4 ounces

Best Sellers Rank: #6,920,880 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #11,600 in Economic History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
3.4 4 ratings

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Abe

Not great...

Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2021

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I bought the book because I enjoy Joan Robinson's technical work in economics but found this text to be highly derivative. I realize she had some Marxist leanings but I could barely make it through the first couple of chapters without feeling like I was reading something from Engels.

Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2010

I did not buy this book on Amazon, and actually I found it on the sidewalk of Broadway (NY) during a late walk home. It's not a common habit of mine, picking up discarded books off sidewalks, but it was sitting propped up for eyes to see in the rubbish heap. It is common for me to be stopped by a great read and this one pulled me in. I took it home.

I was so impressed with this for a couple of reasons: 1) first and most importantly as a reader I was able to really capture a sense of time in this book from the choice of wording and societal register. So this book on economics is also a fascinating book from a linguistics perspective as it was published in 1970 and had the author written it in 2010 there would be quite a different register and access to information. 2) from a research perspective this gem, a brilliantly written book, utilized the resources it had given the time period it was written in (it refers to 70 sources).

For me this book displays the transition from English oral traditions to a more literate written one. There are a lot of references to "XYZ said ABC" and these references are in relation to the stock market crash of 1929 and the speculation that it would happen before it did with indicators such as the value of livestock. It is kind of the history repeating itself today as I have heard Dr. David Suzuki predict the great crash of today based on our overuse/abuse of natural resources and false profits from the modern market economy (or should I say pre-modern market economy).

I can therefore recommend this book on multiple levels then: as a researcher/instructor of research, as a linguist or linguistic anthropologist, or as an economist (admittedly I cannot vouch with a strong voice from an economist's perspective).

If you have such interests try to find this little classic. Think you will appreciate what I am saying.

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V.H. Amavilah

Desire for Freedom from scarcity leads to langague, Necessity of society, development of economic systems, and rest is history

Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2008

Every economist keeps a fantasy list of other economists, dead or alive, whose works they think deserve a Nobel Prize. Among the top 15 on my list are Nick Kaldor, Zvi Grilliches, and most definitely Professor Joan V. Robinson. Robinson's voluminous impact on the development of economics is huge, and one appreciates it with every one of her writings, and other peoples' writings about her. I first read Freedom and Necessity at the British Consulate Library in a country I lived in as a political refugee. I knew little English then, much less economics, and I was impressed nonetheless. Re-reading the same was even more pleasure than the first time. I want every serious scholar to read this little beauty.

The book has 14 chapters, some on topics seemingly arcane like "Socialist Affluence", and others more time-invariant, such as " Land and Labor." Not only is the book brilliant, the volume of knowledge it contains is just staggering. The author tells us about how societies began and how they have evolved over time. Scarcity compelled language development. Stresses Dr. Robinson, "The distinctive characteristic of mankind is the invention of language that conveys information about things not present and permits speculation about things not known." The apes have manners, it is language that makyth man" (p. 21). Once the existence of scarcity was understood, it was not a long leap to have communities use force (war) to protect "things present" and speculate (sic) "about things not known." Soon you have "isolated societies", and distinct races and classes. Warfare became "the most frequent origin" of "property".

Foreign trade was associated with personal liberty, and the two motivated investment for profit. Profit is the focal point of capitalist expansion - Chapter 7 is just a gem!. In addition, although the depth appears to have reduced toward the last chapters, the mark of originality and authority is indelible. A witty and wide-ranging book, and a liberated author.

Amavilah, Author
Modeling Determinants of Income in Embedded Economies
ISBN: 1600210465

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Samuele

Ottimo prodotto in relazione al prezzo!

Reviewed in Italy on January 20, 2016

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E' stato sicuramente un ottimo prodotto in relazione al prezzo!
Consigliato; Spero di tornare a comprare da voi.
Cordiali saluti

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